Maintaining a youthful appearance is of great importance to many people, particularly in an aging population. Several of the visible signs of aging result from its effects on the skin. The passage of time is reflected in the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines; by a slackening of tissue; a loss of cutaneous elasticity; a leathery or dry appearance; and by the yellowing of the skin which becomes duller and loses its radiance. Skin that has been consistently exposed to sunlight throughout life, particularly the face and hands, may show pigmentation marks, telangiectasia and elastosis. At the histological level, skin damage from photoaging is shown in tangled, thickened, abnormal elastic fibers, decreased collagen and increased glycosaminoglycan content. The aging process also results in thinning and deterioration of the skin. There is a reduction in cells and in blood supply, and a flattening in the junction between the dermis and epidermis.
Treatments designed to prolong or promote youthful appearance include topical applications of cosmetic preparations, lotions and moisturizer, electrical stimulation, collagen injections and cosmetic surgery. However, there is still a serious need for skin care compositions that treat wrinkles and fine lines, and restore the youthful appearance of the skin.
Relevant Literature
The use of alpha interferon in antiviral topical creams is reviewed by Foldvari et al. (1999) Biotechnol Appl Biochem 30 (Pt 2):129-37. The creams utilize liposome encapsulated, and or fatty acid acylated derivatives in the formulations. For example, palmitoyl derivatives of interferon alpha2b (p-IFNalpha) were prepared by covalent attachment of the fatty acid to lysine residues in the protein through a reaction with N-hydroxysuccinimide palmitate ester (Foldvari et al. (1998) J Pharm Sci 87(10):1203-8). Descriptions of the liposome compositions may be in found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,755, issued Dec. 29, 1998.